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Degenerative Nerve Diseases

Degenerative Nerve Diseases

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Basics

Summary
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Diagnosis and Tests

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Specifics
Genetics

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Summary

Degenerative nerve diseases affect many of your body's activities, such as balance, movement, talking, breathing, and heart function. Many of these diseases are genetic. Sometimes the cause is a medical condition such as alcoholism, a tumor, or a stroke. Other causes may include toxins, chemicals, and viruses. Sometimes the cause is not known.

Degenerative nerve diseases include

Degenerative nerve diseases can be serious or life-threatening. It depends on the type. Most of them have no cure. Treatments may help improve symptoms, relieve pain, and increase mobility.

Start Here

Motor Neuron Diseases (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
Motor Neuron Diseases (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

Electromyography (EMG) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Specialized Nerve Tests: EMG, NCV and SSEP (North American Spine Society)

Specifics

Alpers' Disease (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Batten Disease (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary
Batten Disease (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
Cerebro-Oculo-Facio-Skeletal Syndrome (COFS) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Corticobasal Degeneration (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker Disease (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Kuru (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Leigh's Disease (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Monomelic Amyotrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Multiple System Atrophy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Multiple System Atrophy with Orthostatic Hypotension (Shy-Drager Syndrome) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Opsoclonus Myoclonus (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Prion Diseases (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Also in Spanish
Striatonigral Degeneration (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (Prion Diseases) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
What Is Batten Disease (Batten Disease Support and Research Association)

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase deficiency (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Andermann syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Arts syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: ataxia neuropathy spectrum (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness, and narcolepsy (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN1 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN10 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN2 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN3 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN4 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN6 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN7 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: CLN8 disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: familial encephalopathy with neuroserpin inclusion bodies (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: GM2-gangliosidosis, AB variant (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IE (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: infantile-onset ascending hereditary spastic paralysis (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: juvenile primary lateral sclerosis (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: multiple system atrophy (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: neuromyelitis optica (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: polycystic lipomembranous osteodysplasia with sclerosing leukoencephalopathy (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: progressive external ophthalmoplegia (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: riboflavin transporter deficiency neuronopathy (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: Sandhoff disease (National Library of Medicine)
Genetics Home Reference: spastic paraplegia type 49 (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

Nerve conduction (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Ataxia (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Neurodegenerative Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Prion Diseases (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician (American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

EMG (Electromyography) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

Multiple system atrophy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish